The Impact of Social Capital and Social Environmental Factors on Mental Health and Flourishing: The Experiences of Migrants in France

Abstract

Abstract Background There is growing interest on how social capital and related social environmental factors impact overall population health and well-being. The nature of migrants’ social environment changes once they migrate to a new context and these changes influence their mental health and well-being. However, there is limited scholarship on how these social environmental factors impact the mental health, well-being, and capacity to flourish of migrant populations. Methods The aim of the study, therefore, was to examine how specific social environmental factors—social networks, social support, and social cohesion at various levels (micro, meso, and macro)—influence the mental health, well-being, and capacity to flourish of migrants in France. We used a qualitative, inductive research design, in collaboration with a community-based organization to conduct 120 semi-structured interviews with migrants and asylum seekers in France. Results Participants described how their usual informal social networks comprised of family and friends had been disrupted since they migrated to France, which impacted their mental health and well-being. Conversely, staying connected with their informal transnational social networks via social media and developing ties with new local informal and formal social networks allowed them to receive different forms of social support, and buffered some of the negative mental health effects. However, the lack of social cohesion impeded migrants’ capacity to flourish. The emerging salient themes depicting a lack of social cohesion included a lack of belonging and marginalization, uprootedness and uncertainty, a lack of identity and security, and current harmful migration-related policies. Conclusion While social support derived from social networks buffered some negative impacts on migrant mental health and well-being, the overall lack of social cohesion ultimately impeded migrants’ capacity to flourish within their host communities, which was further exacerbated by harmful migration policies of exclusion within France. Introducing more inclusive policies related to the governance of migration and an intersectoral approach that views health in all policies is key to promoting social cohesion and flourishing among migrants in France.